The President of the European Commission believes that Canada should focus on exporting “clean hydrogen” to Europe, as the continent tries to shift away from Russian sources of fossil fuels.
“The opportunities are limitless,” Ursula von der Leyen said in written responses to questions from The Canadian Press, on the eve of her visit to Canada. “We must certainly expand our cooperation on this energy of the future. […] For me, the greatest potential for our energy cooperation lies in renewable hydrogen. »
Mme von der Leyen was due to arrive in Canada on Monday evening for a brief visit to Ottawa and then to Kingston, Ont., on Tuesday. This visit by the European leader will be devoted to “clean energy”, trade and support for Ukraine.
In an email interview, Ursula Von der Leyen wrote that Canada could also expand its exports of liquefied natural gas, as an intermediate step towards more hydrogen exports.
The President of the European Commission also believes that the trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and Canada is a way to strengthen ties with its allies in a turbulent world.
Achim Hurrelmann, co-director of the Center for European Studies at Carleton University, does not expect any major announcements during this visit, which however is of some importance, according to him, since it is his first visit. official in Canada since Mme Von der Leyen began heading the European Commission in late 2019. She was due to come to Canada last fall, but her visit was postponed due to the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
“President Von der Leyen is probably mostly coming to North America for meetings in Washington. But because Canada is such a strong partner for the European Union, it also stops at Canada, he stressed. There is really nothing in the Canada-EU relationship that would make this visit imperative at this time. »
New rules for wood
His visit also comes as the EU implements new forestry regulations that have angered the Canadian delegation in Brussels.
Last November, Canada’s Ambassador to the European Union, Ailish Campbell, argued that the new rules were “onerous”, such as requiring timber imports to have geolocation data to trace the source of trees.
In a letter obtained by PoliticoMme Campbell called for a deferral of the rules — or an exclusion for Canada, arguing it’s one of the best at preventing deforestation. The letter did not mention controversial logging of old-growth forest in places like the Fairy Creek watershed on Vancouver Island.
Asked about these concerns, Ms.me von der Leyen said the measures contain “absolutely no discrimination” as they bring imports up to the same standards as the European forestry sector. “These rules will boost business opportunities for companies and countries with sustainable practices in place,” she wrote, adding that they align with promises made at the UN biodiversity summit in India. last year in Montreal.
Ursula Von der Leyen said her visit was also aimed at promoting Canada’s trade with Europe, through a trade agreement that has been operating for five years in “draft” form.
The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement boosted bilateral trade by a third, with trade in goods increasing by 66%.
Yet 10 of the 27 EU member countries have yet to fully ratify the agreement, largely due to local concerns about the mechanisms companies can use to seek compensation and settle disputes.
Canadian companies have also come up against strict EU rules on food labeling and hygiene, such as those on pesticide residues and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). And EU countries have been vigilant about controlled designations of origin, such as champagne.
A “more than commercial” agreement
Ursula von der Leyen believes that this agreement is more than just commercial, as it establishes rules on sustainability, gender equality and labor rights.
“With Russia’s war on Ukraine and its global shock waves, [l’accord] has become a more important bridge than ever, contributing to the resilience of supply chains between two close, like-minded allies. »
To this end, M.me von der Leyen thanked Canada for its solidarity after Moscow restricted fuel exports that Europe has relied on for decades.
She also recalled that Europe is open to importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) directly from Canada, although analysts have pointed out that it will take years to create the necessary infrastructure to make this possible on the Atlantic coast. “We should continue to cooperate on LNG, knowing that some of the facilities could then be reallocated to the hydrogen business,” she said.
For now, Canada is committed to exploring ways to facilitate LNG deliveries to Europe, for example by sending gas to the United States to replace fuels brought in from North America. It is not known if any of these expeditions have ever been organized.
Federal Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said last August that Canada could increase LNG production as an interim fuel for economies in transition, or even for the production of so-called “blue hydrogen”. But European countries have generally pushed for hydrogen that is not produced with fossil fuels, called “green hydrogen”.